Govt sanctions Rs 160cr for first phase of Ayodhya Sarovar redevelopment

Sambalpur: To boost tourism and urban beautification in western Odisha, state govt has approved Rs 160 crore for the first phase of Ayodhya Sarovar redevelopment project in Sambalpur, announced district collector S B Bondar on Sunday.The project aims to transform the Ayodhya Sarovar, an artificial lake created from the Mahanadi waters, into a major tourist attraction.Tourism officer Rabindra Dalai said that a Bengaluru-based company has taken up the project work, while the Odisha Construction Corporation Ltd will handle the detailed project report (DPR).“The Rs 160 crore sanctioned is for the first phase of Ayodhya Sarovar redevelopment.

The subsequent phases will receive additional funds. The project will include riverbank beautification and creation of tourist-friendly amenities,” said Dalai.The first phase includes repairing of the old anicut sluice gates and raising the anicut height to maintain water levels in the lake. The water resources department has been directed to look into the project.Bondar said, “The tender for the project has been floated, and an architect is being selected.

The DPR is under preparation, and work will begin soon.”The project follows a proposal made by Union education minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan, who urged chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi to beautify Ayodhya Sarovar under the riverfront development scheme.Pradhan had emphasised preserving Sambalpur’s spiritual heritage while promoting tourism, citing the success of the Sabarmati and Kashi riverfronts as models. The five-phase project will feature parks, walkways, boating facilities, amphitheatres, Mahanadi aarti and ghats, transforming the riverbank into a vibrant cultural and tourist hub.